Tara Hogan
One of our dear friends and beautifully talented designer, Tara Hogan, is someone whose elegant touch goes into everything she does. You can literally feel her authenticity through the pages of a computer. The founder and principal designer of INK&WIT established in 2003, she is a designer of textiles, prints, and branding. Her Tulsi scarves have been wrapped around our necks all winter. She is a mother to two boys, a plant-based food lover and chef with a strong Ayurvedic focus, and a classical yoga teacher. A moon mama indeed. She also has a plant-based foods and yoga site where she holds retreats and caters special order foods.Design. Wellness. A very talented food photographer. A true artist.Thank you Tara for sharing the 7 things making your life better right now. We're inspired!
- The Journey Home by Radhanath Swami. I have read this book by my Guru two times cover to cover and continually reference it. Think Jack Kerouac meets Buddha meets India. Full of reality, hard-to-believe moments, wisdom, insight and love. There are so many travels and escapades in this book you would never imagine possible, and they are humbly told by a sincere pure-hearted being.
- Dharma Mittra's Sun Salutation Yoga poster. It is drawn and written by hand by Dharma Mittra, my master teacher, who dwells in the heart of New York City and is a native of Brazil. I have studied with him since 2007 and continue to reference his teachings, videos, and try to see him when the universe allows, as I live 5 hours away. This poster helps us remember how only a few poignant asanas and several rounds of Sun salutations, along with purifying the diet, psychic channels, and body through daily asana can help us attain radiant health and happiness.
- Saffron Eye Ghee by Pratima. I have tried so many eye creams and gels. While I love straight aloe and cold water on my eyes, this Ayurvedic treatment brightens the skin around the eyes and aids in nourishment using rich, organic Ghee, Saffron and Rose.
- Spring water. I love everything water, but I am not a great water drinker. I was introduced to an amazing nearby spring from a friend and try to make a trip out at least 2X a month to fill up on fresh water to fully charge the body.
- TULSI block printed scarves by Tara Hogan for INK&WIT. My recently-launched and growing textile designs block printed in India, just outside Jaipur by fourth-generation master block printers. On my last visit to India, I dug the foundation to start printing scarves. It is an amazing process to see your design go from a hand-carved block to the fabric and through about 10 processes, including washing and drying, to set the natural pigments.
- My two little boys. John and Kalyan (Kalyan is Sanskrit for Blessed, auspicious and beautiful) are 2.5 and almost 4 years old. They make for chaos and lots of sweet moments. I am blessed to be their mom.
- Running. I used to run all the time years ago, but stopped because the vibe for it was lost. I have to say it has been a saving grace to get back into shape after having two babies in a row, just 16 months apart. Once you get a stride, you’re good to go. It is a great outlet and also works so well into Yoga, Pure Barre and clean eating for a nice balance of cardio, wellness, and mental clarity.
